The Third Step
by HPOD sufferer
Summary: Explores the brotherly relationship between the two Black brothers, and a strange tradition that they follow.


**The Third Step**

**By HPOD Sufferer.**

**Unbeta-ed and Unabridged copy.

* * *

**

_The first step I took_

_down the stairs of time,_

_was difficult, _

_but a hand held mine_

_I clutched it tightly_

_hoping I wouldn't fall._

_The second step I took,_

_Away from what I knew_

_away from my home_

_I thought of greater things_

_yet knowing of where I was headed._

_The last step that I took_

_The third step,_

_I'd lost my hope by then_

_And of the future_

_I knew naught._

**

* * *

**_December 1964, London..._

"Sirius!" came the whisper in the dark.

"Shh!" was the answer. "Don't step on the third step - _ah _-"

A loud creak echoed through the house. The two boys froze, eyes searching the darkness, ears straining for a sound that would tell them whether the house elf had heard - whether they needed to sprint back to their warm beds and pretend to be asleep. Whether their efforts would come to nothing.

Nothing moved and nothing made a sound. Sirius let out the breath he had been holding, and squeezed the hand that he held, and the two boys began their slow descent down the stair case. Once at the bottom, the two paused, listening, their small hearts thudding. "_Sirius_ -"

"I said shh!" Sirius answered. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"Yes," came the small reply.

"I'm going to put you down now - you're way too heavy," Sirius said a few mintues later, now at the front door.

"But Sirius -" came the other's whine. "Please -"

"Shh!" Sirius said, stiffening, his arms tightening around the boy he held in his arms. Footsteps walked on the landing above them, and the two boys watched the shadowy figure walk slowly to the edge of the landing, peering down the staircase, holding thier dressing gown tightly around themselves.

"Boys?" came the rough voice of Mr Black. Sirius clapped a hand silently over both of their mouths. "Boys?" the man repeated, a bit more uncertain. Silence rang throughout the house, a deafening squeal in the two boy's ears. The man sighed, and turned around. Sirius didn't let either of them to breathe a sigh of relief. Both had stuffed all of their clothes under the covers to make it look like they were in bed, but if his father cared to turn on a light - or even get closer to te beds, they would be caught. He listened as his father stopped first at his room, then at the one next to it. Then the man coughed, the loud sound racking his whole body, and his footsteps retreated itno the higher storeys of the house towards the bedroom he shared with his wife.

He felt something wet touch his palm and he drew his hand away, disgusted, and wiped the saliva on his pyjamas. He put the other boy down, and turned to the door. The boy stuck out his tongue, disappointed by Sirius's quick dismissal of him.

His great uncle's wand could not be seen in the dark, but the wood felt comforting nevertheless. Sirius tapped the door and it opened silently. A blast of cold air and a shaft of yellow light from the streetlamps outside came through the crack. Regulus looked up at his older brother in the sudden light, shivering. His face was already getting pink cheeked from the cold. Sirius reached up to the coat rack, pulling down as many as he could. He gave his mother's yeti fur coat to Regulus, and donned his father's dragonskin lined with puffskein fur. Both seemed to magically warm the boys instantly. Sirius pulled the boots he'd placed around his neck into his hands and pulled them over the thick woolen socks on his feet, and Regulus copied him, like all little brothers do. Regulus gave Sirius a serious look, and slipped outside.

The two brothers had been sneaking out ever since Regulus could talk. But it was only this holiday season that they'd started to do it at night. Sirius closed the door carefully behind him and put his great uncles's wand safely into his pocket.

"Where we goin' Sirius?" said Regulus, now able to speak freely. Sirius smiled down at the five year old, who was practically swimming in the woman's fur coat he wore. "Why, brother," he grinned, "we're just going for a little walk."

It was always like this. Regulus would always ask where they were going, and Sirius would answer that they were going for a short walk. Sirius gripped his brother's hand tightly in his own, tugging the boy through the streets until they came to a London Underground Station. Late night commuters ignored the boys, except for a bunch of homeless youths, who eyed the expensive coats the boys wore. A girl, nineteen years at most, approached them with a seedy smile.

"Heya, kid, what's yer name?" she said, bending down, with her hands on her leather pants. Sirius looked up at her, surveying her bright pink hair, which was short and spiked, her thick eyeliner, the fishnets she wore. She had a gold tooth, and looked very much like a wannabe hooker.

"Sirius," he said, with a slight smirk.

"Cool," she said, and a few of her friends started to move closer. "That's a wicked name!"

Regulus tugged on Sirius's sleeve. "Mummy -"

"Ssh, Reggie," Sirius hissed, looking back into the girl's eyes. "Yes, and if you don't get out my way I'll-"

"What are you doing out so late?" said the girl, giving him the seedy smile again. "Little boys like you should be home, and in bed."

"That's an awfully big coat you got there," butted in one of the men behind her, leering at them underneath his black mohawk, "Why don't we swap you - we've got some just your size -"

"Piss off," Sirius growled. "Do think I'm stupid? I'm not touching your filthy muggle coats covered filthy muggle drugs."

"Muggle?" said one of the men, "I haven't heard that one before - did you learn it in daycare?"

"Are they Muggles?" Reglus asked, staring at the group with wide eyes. Sirius nodded. "Woah - I thought you said they was still hairy like apes, Sirius. You said they hadn't evolved."

"They haven't," Sirius said, starting to move away as the girl went red in the face. They made their way to the ticket gates, hiding behind a family of tired looking tourists, and made their way to Platform Three. A voice over the loudspeaker said something incoherant, and Sirius gripped Regulus's hand as tight as he could, his jaw tight.

A tube train came rushing to a halt, and only a business man and a druggie stumbled off. Sirius made sure they got onto the same carriage at the tourists, and they got off fifteen minutes later. They ran across a fairly busy road, making two cabs scream to a stop to avoid hitting them, the drivers yelling obscenities as Regulus and Sirius ducked down a smaller street. They walked through several backstreets until they came to a walkway on the side of the River Thames, small restuarants and bars on their left Just behind them was a large bridge. They walked until they came to an old building that almost looked like a barn, with gilted gates at the front and a smart looking building on the left hand side of the complex. A man wearing a fancy hat looked confused ot see them there, nervously poised at the edge of the crowd piling through the gates. Sirius slipped a hand into the pocket of his pyjamas, pulling out two tickets, slightly crumpled, but still the same tickets that he'd bought a week previously. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd, handed his tickets over to the confused man, who checked them to see if the tickets were indeed real, and ushered them through. A courtyard full of people dressed to the nines welcomed the boys, and a youth selling peanuts paused.

"Peanuts?" he offered. "Fifty pence -"

"Allergic," Sirius said, looking a bit sad at the thought.

"Whatchoo doing 'ere, anyways?" asked the youth, peering down his red nose at the pair. "Bit young to be workin' the city yerselves. Where yer mama?"

"Home," Regulus supplied. "Do you sell jellybabies?"

The youth looked taken a back a moment, then dug under a packet of peanuts and found a small packet of jellybeans. "This'll do yer?"

"Thanks," Sirius said, passing over a fifty pound note. The youth's eyes widened, and he scrambled around in a bag on his hip for the change.

"Forty - nine - fifty - kid," he said, handing the money and jellybeans over. Sirius made to turn away. "Hey, yer know where to sit, right?"

Sirius turned back, his face a bit unsure. "No - actually -"

"You got yerself a seat, righ'?" the boy asked. "I'll get you in - lemme see yer ticket -"

Sirius passed the ticket over and the boy grinned. "Good seats those ones - okay, to this door -" he lead them to a door at the side of the main building, the barn-like one, which was at least three stories high and completely circular. His flashed the tickets at the usher, and showed the boys up two flights of stairs and along a row of hard wooden benches.

"Aha!" said the youth, when he'd found their seats. He glanced at the hard wood. "Would yer like me to get yer a pillow?"

"Yes, please," the boys replied politely, and the youth hurried off to get them some pillows to sit on. The boys got comfotable and semicircular stands started to fill up, and the empty space below the stands, in front of the stage filled with people who were standing. Lights shone onto the stage which jutted out below them, and a man stepped out.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Globe Theatre!"

The show had begun.

It was two in the morning when the boys, dog tired, stumbled up to the front door of their home. Sirius pulled out his great uncles' wand, tapped the door, and they slipped inside. The house was silent, and it the dark they pulled off the thick coats, hanging them up, and hung their boots aroudn their necks. Sirius carried Regulus to the foot of the stairs and they made their way upstairs, skipping the ones that creaked or squealed, and the cursed one was jumped easily. Sirius lead Regulus to his bedroom, bundling his brother into bed. A candle was lit. Regulus peeked up, owl-like, from under his thick covers, shivering a little.

"Thanks, Sirius," he whispered, and Sirius put a finger on his lip. The house elf might hear them, after all. Sirius smiled a small smile, and left.

* * *

_Eleven years later..._

The house rang with screams. So much noise. Regulus sat on the third step, a hand on his jaw, and peered through the banister. A small bit of stubble was making itself known against his palm, and he mentally cursed his genes. Sirius never got unwanted stubble, but could grow a beard if he wanted. _It wasn't fair-_

"Sirius Orion Black!" screeched his mother, and Regulus closed his eyes. A clatter on the floor above him, a whispered curse.

Regulus listened as his father tried to reason with his mother, but she was still spitting like a venomous snake. The step underneath his bottom sagged a bit and he twisted around to see Sirius standing on the landing, his trunk floating at his side. "You're not seventeen," Regulus pointed out, and Sirius wrinkled his nose.

"What's it to you?" he growled, creeping down the stairs "And didn't I tell you not to step on the third stair?"

"I'm not stepping on it," Regulus shrugged, and Sirius started going down the stairs. Regulus pushed himself against the banister as Sirius passed, saying, "I wouldn't go down there if I were you."

Sirius turned, and his trunk jostled Regulus's shoulder. "How else am I going to get out of here?"

Regulus dropped his hand from his jaw, frowning at his brother. "You're really going to leave, aren't you?" It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. "I'd thought you'd wait."

"What is that supposed to mean, Reggie? I don't speak snake," Sirius snapped.

Regulus flicked at his shoulder, meeting his brother's eyes, "Neither do I for that matter. But what I mean is, father's old enough as it is, and mother's not going to live forever. The cover of the Black family might be helpful in years to come - especially considering the circumstances."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "Look, you little creep -"

"That I may be," Regulus said, knowing it would get under his older brother's skin. "But at least I know what's best for me."

"I do know what's best for me," Sirius replied. "And getting out of this madhouse is good for me!"

"But not the best thing," Regulus said, holding up a finger while his other hand dug about in his pocket. "But you're leaving so it's beside the point. Where are you going anyway?"

"James's house," Sirius said warily, clearly poised to walk down the rest of the stairs. Regulus nodded.

"You should be able to get a train then," he said, handing Sirius two tickets, two ticket which were not for a train. Sirius took the tickets, looking at them.

"Reggie," he breathed, "what-"

"Mum put a curse on the stair two from the bottom," Regulus said, getting to his feet. "Step on it if you want."

* * *

_One week later, on the walkway outside the Globe Theatre..._

Sirius rubbed his eyes, wondering just what he was doing. He'd considered bringing James with him, but at the last moment had left his best friend to sleep peacefully. He had no doubt that his brother would be there - he just wasn't sure if he could bring himself to vex Regulus by using the second ticket on his best friend.

A largish crowd milled at the iron gates to the Globe Theatre, and Sirius glanced about. Regulus was nowhere to be seen. The sun was sinking across the River Thames, casting a sickly orange glow over the city of London. Sirius watched a boat chug its way up the murky green waterway. A woman with a pram rushed past behind him, and he turned back to the gates, and pushed away a homeless man who rattled a tin under his chin.

A bunch of people were ushered through the gates, and in the split second before other people closed up the space, Sirius saw Regulus, standing with his arms folded, leaning against the wall near the gates, eyes narrowed in his direction. Sirius folded his own arms, glaring defiantly at his brother, and after a second, Regulus ambled up to him. "We'll need to go in soon," he said.

Sirius snorted and they made their way to the gates. The man took their tickets, glanced into their faces and did a double take. "Have I seen yer before?"

Sirius recognised the youth - who was no longer a youth - who had helped them last time they'd come.

"We came here a long time ago," Regulus said. "We were only kids."

The man broke into a smile. "Yeah, I remember now! Two squirts, yer was. Still alone, I see?"

"Left the girls at home," Sirius said cheekily, and the man chuckled, and let them through.

Regulus made his way over to a bored looking girl selling peanuts and got them a tub of jellybeans, and a pillow each. Sirius watched the exchange in silence, and soon they were up in their seats in the Theatre. It was the same seats as all those years ago. "We're watching the same show," Regulus said, and Sirius raised an eyebrow, not sure whether he should be surprised or not.

"Figures. What you're trying to do - live the past or something?"

Regulus shrugged, popping a black jellybean into his mouth and offering the tub to Sirius, who took a white one.

The show was exactly as Sirius remembered it, and it was much later they stumbled onto the side walk beside the Thames. Sirius sat on a bench, gazing out at the black swirling water, glittering with the lights of passing vessels. "I'm not coming back," he said after a moment.

"Didn't think you would," Regulus sighed, sinking to the bench beside Sirius. The pair sat in silence, the calls of drunken people, cars beeping and the sound of jets flying in the distance.

"What you going to do Reggie?" Sirius asked, twiddling his thumbs in the light of the streeet lamp. He felt Regulus shrug beside him.

"Dunno. Mum said something about working in the Ministry -"

"I didn't mean that," Sirius said harshly. "I was asking about ... You-Know-Who. Dad'd love it if you joined."

Regulus turned to his borther. "And I bet you're too noble for something like entering his service."

"Noble!" laughed Sirius, and it carried over the water, echoing around them. "You seriously don't get it, do you Reggie?" he said, turning and facing Regulus at last. "Mother and father might not know what 'entering his service' entitles, but you and I both know!"

"What?" said Regulus in a very good imitation of obliviousness.

"Murder. Torture -" Sirius shuddered. "Don't tell me you're so naive!"

"I'm sure he doesn't murder everyone who disagrees with him," Regulus said. "That's just ... a special circumstance."

Sirius laughed, a maniac laugh that echoed into the cold night air. "You are so thick Reggie! Well, enjoy your life!" He stood up.

"That's it?" Regulus said, standing up also. "You're just going to leave?" Sirius's eyes narrowed.

"You're not worth my breath," he said quietly. "You _never_ listen, and I can't believe I thought this time would be special. So have fun Regulus. Tell me what a special cirumstance is when you're murdering muggles for fun, ok? Not that I'll listen."

He stormed away, leaving Regulus by the river, on the bench, in a circle of washed out light. A woman with a pram ambled along on the path behind him, and it was a very long time later that he went home.

* * *

_Four years later..._

A nineteen year old man walked down a dark street of the seaside town, glancing about hismelf nervously every few moments. The shadows hid him well, but he knew, if _they_ came, nothing could save him. Stepping into a side alley, he Apparated to a place in London. Then, almost running, he made his way to his family home, slipping through the front door. He pulled off his coat and hung it up, hanging his boots around his neck by the laces. Then, carefully, fearfully, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an item. He gripped it tight in his hand, and crept up the stairs, remembering the miss the third one from the top.

A creak, a groan, and Regulus froze. Footsteps. Eyes widening, Regulus jumped into the first room on the landing - the drawing room. Footsteps thumped along the landing, and he realised with a heavy heart that the owner of the feet must be going into the kitchen for a late night snack. Mentally cursing, he opened at cabnet and stuffed he item he held in his hand among the other family heirlooms, clossing it quickly.

He instantly regretted it as the click of the cabnet rang throughout the house. The footsteps stilled at the top of the stairs, and then his mother was in the doorway with a candle in one hand.

"Regulus, son..." she said softly, a dangerous look on her face. She stopped, staring at the wand pointed at her. "Put that down, and stop being silly."

Regulus didn't waver, lifting his eyebrows. "It's too late for me mother."

"What are you talking about-" she began, and Regulus flicked his wand.

"Shut it mother, I haven't got time." Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. "Now, let me out and don't say anything to anyone."

His mother stepped aside and Regulus slipped past her, rushing down the stairs, forgetting to skip the third one. It creaked, loudly, and the rest of the stairs make a racket in his hurry. At the foot he pulled his boots back on and donned his heavy coat. A hand on the banister, he looked up to the ghostly pale face of his mother. "Tell Sirius I did the right thing," he whispered, not sure if she heard him, "but I still stepped on the third step." Then he walked out the front door, fleeing into the night, forgetting the golden locket that he'd left upstairs.

* * *

_One week later..._

Regulus backed up, his heart pounding. His master's wand didn't falter, and Regulus wished he had the strength to avert his eyes.

"Surely you knew that I would find out, and stop your plans," the Dark Lord asked quietly.

"I would have done everything for you, master," Regulus said, "but not this. Nobody deserves this."

"It's not a matter of whether I deserve it. It's what I want," was the answer. "Can you truthfully tell me now that you do not fear death? I am about to kill you - tell me the truth. You want to live."

Regulus straightened up. "I deserve to die - as do you. Everything should die. Nothing lasts forever. And no, don't fear death. I'm unlike you in that way."

"Then you are a fool," his master said softly, and his wand was jabbed forwards. Regulus closed his eyes, smiled, and knew no more.

* * *

_Two days later..._

**Death Eater Found Dead**

_Reported Death Eater, Regulus Black, has been found dead in a deserted cottage near Cornwall. Cause of Death was by the Killing Unforgivable. Regulus Black was rumoured to have Deserted the Deaht Eater ranks, and Ministry officials report that it likely fellow Death Eaters hunted Black down and killed him for his 'crimes'. A small ceremony will be held on Thursday at..._

Sirius threw the newspaper away, and walked across the room to look out the window at the raging storm outside. His friend, James, picked up the paper and read the tiny column squeezed near the back of the paper, his brow creased.

Sirius stared out the window, and James approached. "You can go, if you want," James said. "Harry won't miss you that much."

Sirius smiled a bit, watching his reflection in the glass of the window do the same. "No, I don't think I will."

"But it _is_ your brother's funeral," James said softly. "No matter who he was, I won't think any less of you if you want to go."

Sirius's fists clenched and he turned to face James. "Will you drop it? I'm not going, okay?"

James shrugged and sat down on one of his armchairs. "This is so boring, being in hiding. And I'm scared we'll be found - I don't want Lily to get hurt."

Sirius sat down oposite him. "Yeah, but it'll be better when you do the Fidelius Charm, won't it? You're doing it tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yeah," James sighed. "Are you sure you won't? I mean, I trust Peter, but ..."

"It the perfect bluff," Sirius assured him. "Nothing can go wrong."

"Yeah," James said, looking out the window at the dismal weather.

They sat in silence for a little while, then suddenly Sirius stood up. "You know what? Grab a jacket and get Lily and Harry. I'm taking you to the Globe Theatre for the afternoon showing. My present to you before going into hiding."

James got up, looking confused. "Okay, but why the Globe?"

Sirius was already heading towards the hallway, when he called, "Think of it for old time's sake."

* * *

**Author's Notes: This isn't the way I exactly view the Black Brother's relationship, but I thought it'd be a nice thing to write. So, yes, they are closer than canon dictates. The description of them creeping through the house at the ages of five and six and a half might seem ludicrous (age-wise)****, but it is an almost step by step recount of something I did when I was seven (without the jinxed steps), and since Sirius is quite brilliant, I thought he'd be able to do the same. As to the description of the Globe Theatre, I went there for the first time mid 2006, so if it isn't correct for the time period, forgive me. As for the Secret Keeper and all that, I'm pretty sure that James and Lily were hiding for over a year _before_ using a Secret Keeper, and immediately a week after the Charm was perfromed, they were betrayed. That's my understanding, so I apologise if it is wrong**. **Please give me thoughts on this very long one shot.**


End file.
